About the project

Across the globe we have experienced unprecedented, devastating losses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Within the Bronx, at Montefiore Medical Center, we lost thousands of lives at the height of the pandemic, including lives of healthcare workers. Due to social distancing guidelines, funerals and other forms of commemoration were put on pause, and the emotional tolls on families, loved ones, and healthcare workers notably increased. In response to the lack of ability to honor lives and the need for emotional healing, a team of psychologists, artists, and creative arts therapists came together and formed The Crane Project.

The Crane Project is a living art installation where community members and healthcare providers come together to explore the impact that COVID-19 has had on the people around them. Cranes have been used throughout history to honor mass losses. Cranes used in this manner represent many themes including making a wish, peace, hope, and healing and can be a means of processing and grieving as a community. This will be done through writing, origami, and eventually, taking part in a group art exhibit.

Writing has been used as a means of witnessing a historically traumatic event throughout history. It allows us to be present for our emotions, and ensures that what occurred is not forgotten.Themes related to loss including loss of normalcy, routine, jobs, income, people, ritual, health, safety, etc. will be explored through a 6-word poetry exercise. Participants can then decide to include their poetry in a crane created by other volunteers, or take part in creating a paper crane themselves. Folding a paper with our important emotions inside can be healing as it allows us the opportunity to publicly display these emotions, while keeping them private. It also allows us the opportunity to share that grief, loss, and hope within a larger group.

The Crane Project will create and display over 2000 paper cranes in the Montefiore community. The project aims to: 1) provide an avenue for community healing; 2) honor the lives lost during the COVID-19 pandemic; and 3) create a public commemorative tribute to instill hope and resilience. The project is on display in the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore’s Upper Lobby Healing Garden. The full exhibition will be coming soon to Montefiore’s Moses Campus Gun Hill Lobby.